Get Encouraged

Category: Encouragement

  • 3 Be’s of Cultivating True Friendship

    Social distancing does not have to be a barrier to true friendship.

    Proverbs 18:24 states many unreliable friends will bring a man to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

    True friendship, especially with Jesus, is an invaluable possession worth seeking. It is a priceless treasure worth offering. You and I have the challenge of being that true friend. We ought to be the type of friend to others Jesus is to us. Cultivating this type of friendship is neither quick nor easy.

    In an era of social distancing, developing true friendships may seem impossible, yet the season is right for growth. Placing six feet of physical distance between ourselves does not require distancing our hearts. We can meet digitally, give someone a call, or have a social distanced gathering. Fostering true friendship may be more difficult and look differently than before, but it is a fruitful time for development.

    Here are some keys to keep in mind as you meet the challenge of true friendship.

    Be Intentional

    Be intentional while interacting with others. Our interactions may be via digital platforms like Zoom and Skype, but we can still be intentional in building relationships. No matter the platform, we can place others interests ahead of our own. We can express genuine interest in their lives. We can help others meet needs they may have. Being intentional is essential to starting a true friendship.

    Be Bold

    Be bold in meeting new people. For some of us, this is the hardest part of building a friendship. We are introverted, so stepping out of our comfort zone is unnerving. Experiencing the rare treasure of true friendship is worth mustering the boldness necessary to step out of our comfort zone.

    Be Open

    Be open to new relationships. We should be open to new relationships, and not dismiss someone based on his or her interests or age. Most of us have a wide array of interests, so we can find commonality in some way. Intergenerational relationships can produce rich friendships. Older generations have a wealth of life experience and wisdom to offer, and younger generations have much technical expertise and a fresh viewpoint worth noting. We should keep an open mind when approaching someone new.

    Finding true friendship is certainly challenging. The outcome is worth the work. We will gain the priceless experience of sharing life with a true friend. We will have someone to help carry our burdens, celebrate our victories, and encourage us through rough times. We will have a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

     

     

  • Friendship is a Rare Treasure

    A friend who sticks closer than a brother.

    Proverbs 18:24 says, “One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”

    Many friends come and go. We have a temporary friendship which produces nice memories, but the relationship eventually fades. It does not stand the test of time. Distance between people, disputes, and other changes in life cause friends to drift apart.

    Solomon states these types of relationships are unreliable; however, there is a friend who will stick with us through thick and thin.

    A true friend is a rare treasure. It is someone with whom you can be transparent; there is no need to hide your feelings in fear of judgment. It is someone who celebrates your victories and mourns your losses with you. It is a person who answers the call at midnight when you are in need. A true friend is worth much.

    Jesus offers this rare and true friendship to all.

    Scripture helps us understand the type of friendship we have with Jesus.

    He always remains open to us.

    Any time day or night we can ask Jesus for help. The Bible tells us Jesus understands our needs, and the writer of Hebrews encourages us to ask for help. “Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need,” says Hebrews 4:16.

    Jesus is a friend who will never leave us.

    He will walk with us through life. In John 14:18, Jesus says, “I will not leave you as orphans. I will come to you.” Jesus is not the friend who runs away when life gets hard. He sticks around.

    Jesus is the friend who went to the cross for us.

    “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” Jesus remarks in John 15:13. He laid down his life for us. He sacrificed for us. Jesus is the friend who sticks closer than a brother.

    A CHALLENGE

    True friendship, especially with Jesus, is an invaluable possession worth seeking. It is a priceless treasure worth offering. You and I have the challenge of being that true friend. We ought to be the type of friend to others Jesus is to us. How well do we do?

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  • Give Mama a Call

    She is tender and strong.

    Tender and strong describes a mother. Her tenderness and support encourage us. Her strength helps us get through rough times.

    I Called Mama by Tim McGraw reminds us how awesome mothers are.

    Our mothers provide hugs when we need them. They help us carry heavy loads and know what to say when we need comfort.

    McGraw remembers seeing his single mom trying to figure out how to pay bills late at night. Her recipe helped him win over his wife. He remembers how loving and strong she was.

    Moms are a precious pearl of creation and deserving of our honor.

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  • Thanks Mama!

    The hand that rocks the cradle moves the world.

    Somebody said that a child is carried in his or her mother’s womb for nine months. Somebody does not know that a child is carried in his or her mother’s heart for a lifetime.

    Somebody said it takes about six weeks to get back to normal after you have had a baby. Somebody does not know that once you are a mother, normal is history.

    Somebody said you learn how to be a mother by instinct. Somebody never took a 3-year-old shopping.

    Somebody said being a mother is boring. Somebody never rode in a car driven by a teenager with a learner’s permit.

    Somebody said good mothers never raise their voices. Somebody never came out the back door just in time to see her son hit a golf ball through the neighbor’s window.

    Somebody said you do not need an education to be a mother. Somebody never helped her daughter with distance learning.

    Somebody said you cannot love all your kids the same. Somebody does not have kids.

    Somebody said a mother can find all the answers in books. Somebody has never had a child stuff beans up his nose.

    Somebody said the hardest part of motherhood is giving birth. Somebody never watched her child get on the bus for the first day of Kindergarten.

    Somebody said a mother can stop worrying after her child gets married. Somebody does not know marriage only adds a child to the mother’s family.

    Somebody said a mother’s job is finished when her last child leaves home. Somebody never had grandchildren.

    Somebody said you never need to tell your mother you love her. Somebody is not a mother.

    To mothers everywhere, we say thank you!

    For the sleepless nights, thank you.

    For the stressful days, thank you.

    For everything you do day after day, thank you.

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  • A Mother’s Influence

    A lasting influence.

    Mrs. Jones relaxed each evening by reading her Bible. After seeing this practice for several months, her 4-year-old daughter asked, “Are you ever going to finish that book?”

    A mother’s influence is powerful. Her children are observing and absorbing everything she does. The life she is molding is greatly influenced by her.

    Timothy is an illustration of someone who was influenced by his grandmother and mother. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 1:5, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice, and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”

    A Godly mother and grandmother were an influential part of Timothy’s life. They provided Timothy with wisdom, love, and grace. Their influence helped him find his way in life.

    Theodore Roosevelt once remarked, “Praying mothers are one of America’s greatest assets.” Mothers, thank you for your influence and impact on our lives.

     

  • A Mother’s Love

    “All that I am my mother made me,” remarked John Quincy Adams.

    An angel was sent down from Heaven with the assignment to bring back earth’s 3 most beautiful gifts. The angel picked a rose as one. The second was a baby’s smile. The angel was searching for the third, and he was so impressed by a mother’s sacrificial love for her son, he chose it as number three.

    When the angel returned to Heaven, he discovered the rose had withered, the baby’s smile went away, but the mother’s love was still there.

    There is nothing more beautiful than a mother’s love. The sacrifice, the enduring love which never fades is beautiful. As the old song says, “Thank God for mothers.”

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  • Faithful in Prayer

    Never stop praying.

    Two ladies were discussing their lives as they were at the laundry mat. They were both married, and they had much in common.

    While they were waiting on clothes to wash, they were both mending a pair of their husbands’ pants. “Things at home are stressful. My husband is grouchy and always a ball of stress,” the first lady said as she mended the butt of her husband’s pants.

    As she mended the knees of her husband’s pants, the second lady said, “My guy is usually in a good mood. Things are going really well.”

    It has been said the biggest fear of the devil is our prayers. He fears nothing from prayerless efforts, and trembles at prayer. The Bible encourages Christians to never stop praying.

    “Be joyful in hope. Patient in affliction.” Romans 12:12 encourages, “Faithful in prayer.”

    Faithful in prayer.

    Jesus illustrated the power of prayer. He spends a great deal of time praying. The disciples admired his prayer life and hoped they could model it. Jesus prayed about everything.

    How do we do? Jesus encourages us to pray and never give up. Remember, the Lord does hear our prayers, and praying is just a conversation with him. Spend some time talking with him today.

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  • Patient in Affliction

    Impatient Reaction vs. Patient Response

    Billy, a young potato farmer, was having a conversation with Satan. Billy was harvesting his potatoes, and each one seemed smaller than expected. The crop was small, and the potatoes were little.

    Satan offered to Billy, “Follow me, and I promise you big potatoes every year.”

    Billy responded, “If I follow you, you will not give me any potatoes.”

    Billy patiently responded in a rough moment in life. Satan was hoping Billy impatiently reacted. How do we handle those moments in life?

    Romans 12:12 encourages Christians to patiently respond. “Be joyful in hope. Patient in affliction. Faithful in prayer,” encourages Paul.

    Patient in affliction.

    You and I are being encouraged to be patient during adversity. 1 Peter reminds us it is these seasons in life which help our faith develop.

    As adversity comes, here is encouragement.

     

    • James encourages us to consider trials pure joy because they are developing Godly character in us.
    • The adverse seasons may be leading to a better place then we have been thus far. A wise man once said, “Waiting on God is worth the delay.”
    • “Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and endurance,” says Hebrews 6:12.
    • We can look ahead to what is coming for us.

    Trials will come, and we can follow Billy’s example to navigate the season. It is better to have small potatoes than no potatoes.

     

  • Joy in Hope

    “Joy is the flag which is flown from the castle of the heart when the king is in residence there,” said Robert Rainey.

    In a Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown was having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit, so Linus said, “Charlie Brown, you are the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem.”

    Are we like Charlie Brown? It is easy to become wrapped up in circumstances and loose sight of our hope. As Christians though, we are encouraged to always be joyful for our hope.

    “Be joyful in hope. Patient in affliction. Faithful in prayer,” encourages Romans 12:12.

    Be joyful in hope.

    Life certainly has its difficulties, but we can always look ahead to the hope we have in Christ.

    1 Peter describes this hope as…

    • A living and eternal hope. Time will not take our hope away.
    • A hope which will not perish or spoil. Our hope will always be the same. It is not going away.
    • A hope which will withstand trouble. We may be enduring afflictions, but they are not powerful enough to rob us of the hope we have in Christ.

    No matter what we are going through or where we are right now, we can look ahead to the joyful promise we have been given.

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  • He Hears

    “I’m pretty sure you heard.”

    We find 2 timely reminders about God in Ya Heard by Thomas Rhett.

    1. God hears our prayers. They are not just bouncing off the ceiling, but he really is paying attention. God may not answer the way we think he will, but he does answer us.
    2. God cares about us. He cares about the small aspects of our lives as much as he does the large aspects. We should talk with him about all aspects of life.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QU5XQmrZO7k

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